18

out of

109

Speakers

True Score Methodology v1.0

Amazon Echo Gen 4 Review

Name: Amazon Echo Gen 4
Brand: Amazon

By

Kenn Muguna

5/23/2023 5:07 PM

True Score

84

Absolutely Fresh

84

15

Experts

91

0

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Expert Pick

Expert Rankings

(

15

)

The Amazon Echo Gen 4 pleased testers with its spherical design and easy-to-use companion app. They were satisfied with its sound quality and deep bass levels but felt its missing battery made it much less portable. They also felt its max volume was low and wasn’t ideal for outdoor use.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot
Overview
Consensus
- {post.0.post_title} Specs
- Test Results
Product Comparison
All Stores
Score Card
Expert Score Breakdown
Customer Score Breakdown
Learn More About Speakers

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is a spherically shaped, mid-tier smart speaker that was first released in 2020. The speaker supports both Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, and since it is an Amazon product, it also features built-in support for Amazon Alexa as a voice assistant. It is one of the best speakers in its range for a strong bass output, and it also has an LED ring along its bottom edge that lights up to register a command through Alexa. On its top, there’s also a volume up and down button, as well as an Action and Mic off button. Like most highly rated Bluetooth speakers, the Echo Gen 4 can also be controlled through a companion app (the Alexa app) and configured to work as a speakerphone.

Consensus

our Verdict

Top-tier product testers lauded the Amazon Echo Gen 4 for its spherical design and user-friendly Amazon Alexa app. During their experiments, experts from Rtings could easily make both bass and treble adjustments and noted that it was possible to pair two Echo Gen 4 speakers for stereo output. They also stated that the Gen 4 looked quite similar to the Echo Dot Gen 4 and felt that its sound quality was satisfying for music and videos. Testers from PC Mag were also delighted with its bass levels. Check out our Amazon Echo Studio review if you’d be interested in a speaker that supports Audio and other sound formats.

However, testers complained that its lack of a battery made its portability a bit difficult since it had to be plugged in at all times. They also complained that it doesn’t get very loud and isn’t suitable for outdoor use.

Reason to Buy

Supports Bluetooth and WiFi
Deep bass levels
Supports Alexa voice assistant
Controlled through the Alexa app
Has a subwoofer

Reason to Avoid

No battery included
Poor portability
Low max volume

Amazon Echo Gen 4 Specs

	Battery Life	5 hrs
	Built In Microphone	Yes
	Charge Time	1 hrs 45 min
	Size	5.30" (h) x 5.69" (w)
	Smart App	Ring
	Speaker Pairing	n/a
	Water Resistant	n/a
	Wattage	15W
	Wireless Range	1000 sq ft

All Specs

Test Results

Battery Life (Hours)	0
Volume Output (dB)	0
Low End Roll Off (Hz)	63.496
High End Roll Off (Hz)	6,834.38

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Product Comparison

	Amazon Echo Gen 4 Review	JBL Flip 5 Review
True Score	84	83	NR	NR
Ranking	# 18 / 109	# 30 / 109	# /	# /
Market Context	The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is a spherically shaped, mid-tier smart speaker that was first released in 2020. The speaker supports both Bluetooth and WiFi… The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is a spherically shaped, mid-tier smart speaker that was first released in 2020. The speaker supports both Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, and since it is an Amazon product, it also features built-in support for Amazon Alexa as a voice assistant. It is one of the best speakers in its range for a strong bass output, and it also has an LED ring along its bottom edge that lights up to register a command through Alexa. On its top, there’s also a volume up and down button, as well as an Action and Mic off button. Like most highly rated Bluetooth speakers, the Echo Gen 4 can also be controlled through a companion app (the Alexa app) and configured to work as a speakerphone.	The Amazon Echo Gen 4 features an AUX input while the JBL Flip 5 does not, and it also supports a WiFi connection while the… The Amazon Echo Gen 4 features an AUX input while the JBL Flip 5 does not, and it also supports a WiFi connection while the Flip 5 does not. On the flip side, the Flip 5 supports a remote smartphone connection while the Echo 4th Gen does not, and it can also be used wirelessly while the Amazon Echo cannot.	The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is the fourth iteration of Amazon’s Echo line of Bluetooth Speakers, and it has a spherical design compared to the… The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is the fourth iteration of Amazon’s Echo line of Bluetooth Speakers, and it has a spherical design compared to the Amazon Echo Plus 2, which has a cylindrical shape. The Gen 4 also has a mute function that the Echo Plus 2 does not.	The Amazon Echo Gen 4 also has three drivers while the Amazon Echo Gen 3 has only 2, but the Gen 3 has a subwoofer… The Amazon Echo Gen 4 also has three drivers while the Amazon Echo Gen 3 has only 2, but the Gen 3 has a subwoofer while the Gen 4 does not. However, the Gen 4 has a detachable cable while the Gen 3 does not, and it also features an AUX input that is missing on the Gen 3.
Battery Life	5 hrs	12 hrs	–	–
Built In Microphone	Yes	No	–	–
Charge Time	1 hrs 45 min	2.5 hrs	–	–
Size	5.30" (h) x 5.69" (w)	–	–	–
Smart App	Ring	JBL Portable	–	–
Speaker Pairing	n/a	Yes	–	–
Water Resistant	n/a	Yes	–	–
Wattage	15W	20W	–	–
Dig Deeper		JBL Flip 5 Review →

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$99.99
Availability
In Stock
Free Shipping
Yes
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Score Card

E

Expert Score

84

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

91

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

84

Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

Expert Score Breakdown

Publications with higher Trust Scores are given more weight.

102.6
Category Trust Score
66
The Amazon Echo is passable for music. Out-of-the-box, its sound profile is a bit boomy,… read more
By:
Alistair Charlton
98.76
Category Trust Score
68
Amazon’s fourth generation Echo delivers a fairly good audio performance considering its size, with decent… read more
By:
David Murphy
54.9
Category Trust Score
90
The fourth-generation Amazon Echo speaker takes the sound quality and smart home hub capabilities of… read more
By:
Erika Rawes
68.04
Category Trust Score
90
The Amazon Echo is the most well-rounded smart speaker, and I’m not just talking about… read more
By:
Parker Hall
55.87
Category Trust Score
78
The Amazon Echo (4th gen.) is a great smart speaker for the price as long… read more
By:
David Nield
48.27
Category Trust Score
100
Although the same price as the old version, the Amazon Echo (4th Generation) gives you… read more
By:
Adam Molina